Chapter 345: Madam Seraph
Meanwhile, in the nation of Braet Strain...
The grand opera hall erupted into applause as the song’s final note faded into silence.
Nobles, merchants, politicians, and members of influential families slowly rose from their seats, applauding the performance they had just witnessed.
At the center of the stage was the evening’s star, Madam Seraph.
She inclined her head gracefully toward the audience, dressed in an elegant black kimono bearing floral designs.
The applause continued for several moments before the curtains finally closed.
——
Several minutes later, backstage...
Attendants moved about carrying bouquets, letters, and gifts that had been sent by admirers, while musicians packed away their instruments after the evening’s performance.
Eduardo, Francesca, and Bernadette were escorted toward one of the private rooms.
Bernadette entered. "Lovely performance, Madam Seraph."
She stepped forward with a warm smile as the two women exchanged the customary greeting, lightly brushing each cheek beside the other’s.
"Thank you, Bernadette," Seraph said with a warm smile. "I still have two more countries left on this tour before I finally allow myself a long deserved rest."
One side of her face had this white-and-black tattoo design that contrasted with her dark skin.
Seraph’s eyes then turned toward the two figures entering behind her.
Eduardo offered a respectful bow.
Francesca followed suit with one of her own.
Madam Seraph regarded them both for a brief moment before gesturing toward the sitting arrangement nearby. "Please, have a seat."
The three of them did exactly that.
Once everyone had settled comfortably, Seraph returned her focus to Bernadette. "So, what made you tail me all the way to Braet Strain?"
Madam Seraph rarely remained in one place for very long, constantly moving from one region to another, and making herself notoriously difficult to track.
But Bernadette had always known how to reach the seer, as the two of them were well acquainted.
Years ago, she and Ivan had once sought one of Seraph’s foretellings, and it had brought them remarkable fortune.
More recently, when Joe Sanderberg carried the one-million-grit bounty on his head, it was Madam Seraph who had provided Wade Hogan with a foretelling, telling him exactly where Joe would be that night.
That was how Wade Hogan had arrived ahead of time and laid in wait. And that encounter ultimately became the one that claimed the hitman’s life.
Bernadette let out a sigh before giving the seer a run down on why the three of them had come all the way to Braet Strain, explaining that they sought her assistance regarding a matter connected to their lost memories.
"Hm... altered memories." Seraph muttered, then looked between the three of them.
"The mind is not naturally my domain, so I cannot restore your memories to what they were meant to be."
She paused briefly. "But... I can perform a divination that may grant us insight into your situation."
"Yes, please," Bernadette replied almost immediately. "I had a feeling you’d have some method. It’s why I had to find you."
Seraph smiled a bit. "I should temper your expectations first. When I perform this divination, there are only three outcomes I expect."
"The first...is nothing. The second is a clue or something that points us toward the truth. And the last is entirely at the mercy of the Goddess."
"If Lady Morrigan chooses to show kindness, then she may reveal the answer itself."
Bernadette slowly turned toward Eduardo and Francesca, who both gave her a nod.
Bernadette looked back. "We’re ready."
Seraph inclined her head before slowly closing her eyes.
Then she spoke.
"Hear me... O Great Lady Morrigan, Sovereign of Fate’s hidden roads"
"If it pleases Your divine will, allow these mortal eyes to gain a sight beyond sight."
Suddenly, white miasma gently flowed from her body, drifting around her like slow-moving mist.
Then, her closed eyelids slowly opened, and her pupils now glowed an ethereal white light.
Seraph was no ordinary awakened. She was one of the Blessed, a mortal upon whom the Goddess herself had bestowed favor.
Every divination she performed was not born solely from her own magic, but from the power she borrowed from the Matron of Written Stars.
Morrigan.
"I want each of you to look directly into my eyes." Seraph instructed.
They nodded and did exactly that.
For several long seconds, nothing happened. It almost resembled a silent staring contest.
Then suddenly, Eduardo’s eyes began glowing with the very same ethereal white light.
His body remained still, but within his mind, a few scenes rapidly unfolded.
He saw a younger version of himself writing inside the pages of a journal. The vision changed, and he saw an older version of himself, seated behind a desk and writing within another journal.
The room he found himself seated in was his own study within Stark Manor.
Then he watched himself kneel on the wooden floor, with one of the floorboards already carefully lifted. That older version of himself then placed the stack of journals into the hollow space beneath the floor.
Afterward, he carefully returned the wooden board to its original position, then drove the nails back into place.
The flooring looked completely untouched, as though nothing had ever been hidden there.
Then the vision ended.
Seraph slowly lowered her gaze as the white glow faded from her eyes.
Almost simultaneously, the light disappeared from Eduardo’s eyes as well.
He blinked several times before staring back at her in complete bewilderment.
Francesca turned to him. "What happened?"
Bernadette’s attention had also been drawn towards him as well.
Eduardo remained silent for a moment before finally speaking. "I don’t understand what I just saw. It showed me... my quarters back at Stark Manor."
"Those journals..."
He looked back toward Seraph.
"Those actions, I don’t remember any of them ever happening."
Seraph listened quietly before giving a nod.
"I believe, what the Goddess has granted you are clues. Return to your quarters and retrieve those journals from where you buried them."
She smiled. "And I believe, you’ll find the answers you’re seeking."
Eduardo still looked puzzled, but slowly nodded.
Not long afterward, the three of them prepared to leave.
Bernadette stepped forward once more. "Thank you, Madam Seraph."
Seraph laughed softly and tilted her head playfully. "So, who do I send the bill to this time? You or Ivan?"
Bernadette couldn’t help laughing as well. "Send it to me."
The two women exchanged the customary cheek-to-cheek farewell once again as they bid each other goodbye.
——
At Stark Residence...
"I’m really sorry about your uncle," Isabella said in a kind tone.
She was seated beside Ethan as Hayley once again explained everything that had happened back at her family’s house.
Hayley gave a shrug. "Yeah... it’s fine."
It was at that time that Ethan’s Arcphone suddenly buzzed.
Then buzzed again.
He reached into the pocket of his robes and pulled it out. His eyes briefly scanned the screen before he looked towards his wife and Hayley. "It’s Eduardo, I’ll be back."
Neither of them questioned it as Ethan stood from his seat and quietly walked away with the phone still vibrating in his hand.
He made his way through the manor before stepping outside, stopping just beyond the entrance.
Only then did he answer the call. "Our call was scheduled for tomorrow."
Eduardo’s voice came through almost immediately. "Yes, Master Ethan."
"But I called because I wanted to inform you beforehand. We’ll be returning first thing tomorrow morning."
He added quickly. "We may have found a clue to what we’re looking for."
Ethan’s brows rose slightly. "Oh?"
He smiled a bit. "Very well, we’ll talk properly once you arrive."
The call ended as Ethan lowered the Arcphone from his ear and stared thoughtfully into the darkness.
——
Elsewhere within the city...
The black-haired boy from earlier finally arrived home to a modest middle-class residence.
He was the one who had followed Ishtar to Stark Manor.
"I’m home."
His mother looked up almost immediately from where she had been arranging dinner.
"You’re late, Glen."
The boy rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Sorry, Mother. I went to see a friend after the Academy dismissed for the day, and there was a lot of traffic on the way back."
She sighed before shaking her head. "Go and get changed first. Dinner will be ready soon."
"Yes, Mother." He gave a bow before making his way upstairs.
His bedroom door clicked shut behind him as he let out a long breath. "...That was really scary."
Then a grin slowly spread across his face, revealing rows of slightly elongated, claw-like teeth.
He walked over before throwing himself backward onto the bed, the mattress bouncing as he stared up at the ceiling.
By then, his eyes had taken on a peculiar glow, while a pair of demon horns protruded from both sides of his head.
—-
A/N: See Chp 89 For Wage Hogan’s entrance and first mention of Madam Seraph